


dancing days: a recommendation

by allmywill



Series: Duran fic reviews [1]
Category: Duran Duran
Genre: Gen, Review, fic rec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:48:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28199394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allmywill/pseuds/allmywill
Summary: I read a Nick/Warren fic that blew my mind, so much that I needed to gush about it!
Series: Duran fic reviews [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2070657
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	dancing days: a recommendation

**Author's Note:**

> don’t worry, no spoilers here, in case anyone wants to go and read the entire thing.

A little over a week ago, I was browsing the fic archives on [_The Lovely Blue Planet Of There_](http://there.indyramp.com/)in search of something new to read. For those who may be unfamiliar with it, it was a site for Duranies to share their artwork related to the band. There’s quite a lot of fanfic on there, though it hasn’t been updated since early 2009. I’m just happy it’s still online and functioning, because I’ve been reading fics on there for well over a year.

I’ve stumbled across a lot of wonderful fics in my time, but this one in particular struck a chord in me. It’s called [_Dancing Days_](http://there.indyramp.com/fiction/daysindex.htm), a Nick/Warren novel length fic written by someone who went by the screen name Artemis. I have not read, or written, much of this pairing, so of course it intrigued me.

It’s set in 1997, just after John announces he’s leaving the band. Nick and John were together since they were teens, and when he leaves the band, he leaves Nick too. He is torn up, obviously, and Warren is the first person there when things go sour.

Safe to say, Nick is emotionally destroyed. After losing the most vital relationship in his life, he turns to wine and drinks away his pain. But he only stoops so low. His already close friendship with Warren starts to transform into more as he cares for him, making sure he doesn’t go off the deep end completely.

 _Medazzaland_ comes to fruition, and the pressures of creating an album are heavy enough on their own. Through promo, videos, and recording, the new aspect of their relationship is put to the test. Their relationship with Simon is also. It doesn’t take long before the tensions are high within the band.

Warren hasn’t been with another man in many years, and while with Nick, memories of the last time start to resurface. He has a hard time keeping himself in check, let alone Nick. Just when there is a glimmer of hope for them, that glimmer flickers wildly; fading and returning with an unpredictable vengeance.

Their fights have advice that I personally needed to hear, since I’m at a very similar stage of my life. I wish I could write dialogue half as good as this author. Nick is sarcastic, even aloof at times, just as expected. Yet with Warren, he seems to melt. He is vulnerable with him. He feels safe, his walls come down. And his clothes come off.

Warren takes longer to fully open up to Nick about his past. He is slow to trust, especially with something as heavy as what he has dealt with: the harsh breaking of a bond he swore he needed, and would possess, forever. He is traumatized, plagued by his own mind, yet he keeps much of this from Nick during the story. He often derails their conversations when they get too close to that past. He is deeply affected by his own experiences.

The rollercoaster ride that is this fic is one that’s difficult to get off of. Once I started reading, I honestly couldn’t stop. I became very emotional at some points, as I have very recently experienced something of this caliber. I won’t go into extreme detail, but I will say that I was very into someone who I should not have been into. We were close. Too close, in retrospect. Whoever said love is blind was right.

I have only just recently realized how bad things were for a majority of my year. Bad because of her. I’m happy to be where I’m at now. I’m out of it, and I’m safe. I read this fic at the perfect time. I feel like I’ve taken away some fantastic food for thought from it.

Like I said, no spoilers, so I won’t give away the ending of course. All I will say is that it came as a bit of a surprise to me. It depends on how you see things though!

This fic will turn your world upside down if you let it; it sure did to me. There are so many emotionally charged conversations, deep kisses, hot scenes, and even a couple moments that drew a laugh out of me. It’s a long one, but it’s worth the time.

Oh, and if you’re into Led Zeppelin, you’ll love the references sprinkled throughout. Warren’s Missing Persons days are also prevalent, which I really liked. They’ve become one of my favorite bands this year.

So if you’re into Nick/Warren, or just wanna read a really good Duran fic, _Dancing Days_ is the way to go. I wish there was a way to tell the author how much I enjoyed their work! Since I can’t, perhaps this will suffice.


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